‘It changes minute by minute’: Flight delays continue at Mitchell International after nationwide FAA ground stop
CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Travelers at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport are still dealing with flight disruptions following Friday’s nationwide ground stop.
For Cheryl Fordham, departure times kept changing throughout the day, leaving her unsure when she would finally take off.
“It changed minute by minute, and that's how these things happen,” Fordham said. “First we were going to leave at 4, 5, then a minute later it was 6:30.”
The delays also disrupted her plans to meet her daughter in Atlanta before traveling together to El Paso.
“I was supposed to be flying with my daughter, and we were going to join up in Atlanta to go to El Paso together, so that won’t be happening tonight,” Fordham said.
Now, Fordham is preparing for the possibility of spending the night in Atlanta.
“I’ll probably end up staying overnight in Atlanta. I’m hoping Delta will pay for my hotel,” she said.
Other passengers are also trying to get their travel plans back on track.
Dennis Spitzer said his trip had already been disrupted once before his latest delay. His first flight was canceled early in the morning, and his replacement flight was pushed back several hours.
“This is our second flight. Our first one was canceled at 5 this morning, and we were supposed to depart at 5 this afternoon, but it got pushed back to 8:30,” Spitzer said.
Kim Spitzer said their main goal was simply to get to their destination.
“Hopefully we get out today. That’s all that really matters, instead of wasting a day of traveling when we’re supposed to be there already,” she said.
Not every traveler experienced delays.
Brook Jones arrived in Milwaukee from Washington state with her family in time for her first Green Bay Packers game. She said their flight left without a problem.
“Even the flight attendant was saying we’re one of the lucky ones who were able to get out, no hassle, and thank goodness because this is a dream of mine to go to a game, and we’re happy it didn’t stop our fun,” Jones said.
While some travelers made it to Milwaukee as planned, others are still waiting for their trips to move forward.
